Incest is usually referred to as sexual contact among family members. If you want me to use an appropriate, more sophisticated definition then it can be described as “sexual behaviour between family members: siblings, parents, close relatives that is not age appropriate, not transitory and not motivated by developmentally mutually appropriate curiosity. It is not limited to sexual intercourse, but the abuse can take place in different forms like: sexually suggestive language, prolonged kissing or oral sex. Studies have shown that one in four girls and one in ten boys experience sexual abuse among incest. People have recalled episodes of sexual abuse during therapy sessions. Incest particularly damages the primary support system of the young victims. It messes up their psyche and causes trust issues and intimacy problems.
Impacts of Sexual Abuse Sexual abuse affects their sexuality, social functioning, and interpersonal relating. In DeYoung’s (1982) sample, it has been shown that 79% of incest victims had predominantly hostile feelings towards their mothers, whereas 52% were hostile toward their abuser. It is also noted that the rage of incest victims in her sample was often directed toward the mother and observed that they seemed to regard all women, including themselves, with contempt. Moreover, victims have reported difficulty trusting others that includes reactions of fear, hostility and a sense of betrayal. Adult women victimised as children are more likely to manifest depression, self-destructive behaviour, anxiety, feelings of isolation and stigma, poor self-esteem, a tendency toward revictimization and substance abuse.
Signs of person going through or been through Incest
In other words, victim does not need to be felt like a victim but a survivor. RAINN (The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) has a protocol in terms of who a victim can feel safe reporting an incest situation to:
There are various resources available globally that can be used to help the fighters. To name a few 1.Incest Resource , Inc http://www.incestresourcesinc.org/ This website is run solely by survivors and volunteers. It provides educational resources to survivors and professionals by mail at a minimal charge. 2.STIGMA, INC. http://www.stigmatized.org/ Stigma, Inc. provides support group for individuals conceived by rape or incest and for women who have been pregnant by assault or are raising rape or incest conceived children. The website offers an email support list, a chat room, optional contacts to obtain support, and information and general support In conclusion, people who have been through this trauma need love, affection, compassion, and a sense of acceptance from the society and the people who matter to them. The problem needs to be addressed with at most professional help and care. With proper help and support, victims can fight through this and come out as winners.